Shimla – In a significant development, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has proposed the Himachal Pradesh State Government’s Rs. 9989.49 crore annual budget plan for the fiscal year 2024-25. The announcement came during the inaugural session of the MLA Priority Meeting, where discussions revolved around key priorities for the Una, Hamirpur, and Sirmaur districts.
Chief Minister Sukhu underscored the state government’s commitment to making Himachal Pradesh self-reliant within the next four years and positioning it as the most prosperous state in the country within a decade. Encouraging MLAs to align their priorities with the government’s vision, he emphasized the need for a clean, transparent, and accountable administration.
A major highlight of the proposed budget is the concerted effort to transform Himachal into a Green Energy State within the next two years. The government has recently entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) worth Rs. 2,000 crore with the World Bank. This collaboration falls under the Hydroelectric and Renewable Energy Development Programme, spanning the next five years.
Sukhu outlined that MLA priorities are typically funded through the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund under NABARD. For the preceding fiscal year (2023-24), NABARD sanctioned an amount of Rs. 918.81 crore. Additionally, 62 projects from the Public Works Department and 93 initiatives from the Jal Shakti Department received approval. The Chief Minister urged officials to fully utilize NABARD’s budget allocation for the upcoming fiscal year and submit reimbursement claims by March 15, 2024.
In a bid to ensure timely resolution of issues raised by MLAs, Sukhu directed administrative secretaries and department heads to prioritize the valuable suggestions put forth by the legislators. He emphasized the importance of expeditiously clearing formalities related to FCA, FRA cases, and Gift Deeds to prevent delays in preparing detailed project reports.
The Chief Minister instructed concerned departments and Deputy Commissioners to conduct monthly reviews of MLA priority projects, with reports submitted to the government for scrutiny.
